Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel's next battle will be in Gaza, the country's military Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi told a cadre of graduating military officers at a graduation ceremony broadcast over Israel Radio on Tuesday.

“The army will return to face the places where they [Gaza militants] launch rockets which is in the most densely populated areas, [soldiers will return] to fight in the villages, cities, mosques, hospitals, kindergartens and schools because the enemies want to impose this method of fighting against Israel,” Ashkenazi said.

The official's statements came during the graduation ceremony of new ground force officers of the ground forces, and elicited harsh criticism from Hamas officials in Gaza.

Responding to what he described as an inflammatory speech, Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said Ashkenazi's rhetoric only reflected the depth of the Israeli "crisis of occupation."

Earlier in the day Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin had accused Hamas of using the "calm" following Israel's war on Gaza as an opportunity to smuggle more weapons into the Strip. He said Hamas has an Iranian missile that can reach the 60 kilometers to Tel Aviv.

Barhoum responded by accusing Israel of having tested weapons in Gaza that it planned to use in the subsequent attack, and said such an offensive would only be designed to sideline the Goldstone report.